FORESTRY. .".7 1 



The following general deductions are drawn b) the author from the experiment: 

 Pine seeds are verj sensitive to a high degree of beat. Between the permissible :in<l 

 injurious temperatures lie so few degrees thai extra care is necessary in kiln-drying 



3eeds. The greatesl danger lies in kiln-drying moisl cones. For this 

 cones which remain longer on the tree and are, therefore, riper and drier are t.. be 

 preferred for Beed purposes, and nol for the reason sometimes given thai the seed in 

 early-picked cones is less able to germinate. 



Natural grafting, L. 8. Hopkins (Amer. Inventor, 14(1905), No. ? 1 p.38 i fiy 

 [Uustrations and descriptions are given of two natural grafts between adjacenl 

 sycamore trees. 



Thinning spruce, Schwappacb (Ztschr. For8t u. Jagdw., 



The righl method <»t" growing spruce lias long been considered a settled 

 Question by German foresters. Observation in Austrian forests, however, where the 

 use of small timbers necessitated the thinning of spruce much earlier than usual led 

 to the discovery thai from the standpoinl of greater growth and Larger profits earl) 

 thinning, which gave opportunity to the remaining trees for better crown develop- 

 ment, was very desirable. 



The details of the investigation are recorded at considerable length, based upon 

 which the following conclusions are drawn: 



I By growing spruce in dense stands the crown is stunted ami food elaboration 

 therefore impaired. (2) The method of growing spruce close together in youth, and 

 first thinning in middle aire, does nol nse the site to the full capacity and results in 



I loss to the owner. (3) A stunted spruce crown regains its vigor very slowly and 

 <>n poor sites nol at all. Consequently late thinning exercises no considerable 

 influence on the accretion. 



( 4 ) A rational treatment of spruce forests requires, therefore, avoidance of too close 

 Uanting, say from 4,ooi) to 6,000 plants per hectare, and (5) the gradual decrease of 

 this number through frequenl thinnings as soon as the branches begin to die off to a 

 height of L2to L5 ft. (6) The aim in thinning must be the production of the greatesl 

 possible number of well-developed stems with crowns fully developed on all sides 

 and the trees as equally distributed over the area as possible, constant attention being 

 jdven to the breaking up of the groups. (7) The live portion of the crown shou'd 

 never average less than 30 per cent of the height of the tree. 



The regulation of the spacing in planting and thinning spruce forests, 

 Maktin (Ztschr. Forst u. Jagdw., 87 (1905), No. 7, pp. ;/.'<- $27).- The author briefly 

 Reviews the paper by Dr. Schwappach above and gives supplemental data along 

 leveral lines drawn largely from German source-. 



The data given do not show any stunting of the crown resulting from too close 

 Uanting, and the author believes that no hard and Easl rules as to spacing in plant- 

 in- and in thinning spruce can he formulated. From an economic standpoint thick 

 Uanting where there is a considerable demand for small ti miter, as in Germany, may 

 he of as greal value as a less number of larger trees. 



The effect of forest cover upon stream flow, \V. Ik < ii;i:i:i.i:v | Forestry "wl Trrig., 



II (1905), Nos. 6, pp. />:■■' 168; 7, />/>. 809-315, figs. />. A discussion of the general 

 factors governing Stream flow. In addition to the effect- of foresl cover, the \ar\ ing 



mfluences of precipitation, topography of the drainage basin, and it- ■_:< ological char- 

 acter are discussed. 



Investigations in connection with the Reclamation Service covering 3 year- were 

 made with reference to these factors in 2 tributaries of the Hudson, Esopus < 



and Wallkill River. The catchment area of Esopus ('reek ha- only aboul 15 per 

 cent of cleared land on it. In the Wallkill Basin, on the other hand, about 86 per 

 rent of the land is cleared. Precipitation ami climatic conditions in the two basins 

 are practically the same. 



